He began his stage career with the Sunderland Empire Theatre Society in 1969 and later gained work on television, including playing Peter Harrison in the sitcoms ...And Mother Makes Three (1971–1973) and its sequel ...And Mother Makes Five (1974–1976) and appearing in Love in a Cold Climate (1980).
In the BBC Radio 4 serial The Archers, he was the first actor in the role of Tim Beecham, an old friend of Nigel Pargetter.
Since then he has produced and associate-produced many British films, including Peter's Friends, Swan Song (1992), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Twelfth Night (1996), The Wings of the Dove (1997), Gangs of New York (Production Consultant), I Capture the Castle, Chasing Liberty, A Bunch of Amateurs, My Week with Marilyn, Loving Vincent and Red Joan.
He produced TV adaptations of Parade's End in 2012 and The Wipers Times in 2013 for the BBC, both of which were nominated for British Academy Television Awards.
[5][6] His company has since produced The Wipers Times in theatres in the West End and throughout the UK.